Reunion
by dazdnconfusd730
Summary: He had one goal. Kill his brother. Naruto was a means to an end, nothing more, nothing less.
1. Chapter 1

He slipped undetected over the walls of Konoha. He didn't expect to be noticed, but the ease with which he'd entered simply added to his distaste for the village. Full of weaklings. It was good he'd left when he had the chance.

A pity that business brought him back, sneaking into the place he'd once called home under the cover of midnight, searching for a man that he once called friend.

He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, a silent shadow, a black cloak hiding his features as he moved swiftly to the area of the village his target had once lived. Deliberately staying away from Konoha meant he had no intelligence about the village other than what he already knew, and he knew nothing of the current whereabouts of his target. He could practically hear his first sensei's lazy voice telling him he was being rash.

As he wondered vaguely how strong his target had become in the past years since he'd last faced him, he sensed the presence of another. He landed on the next rooftop and pulled to a stop. Across the roof stood a hooded Anbu.

He looked different from any Anbu he'd seen in Konoha. He was not in a customary black cloak, but rather an open, short sleeved white jacket that billowed out behind him as the wind picked up. The uniform beneath the hooded jacket was that of a normal Anbu – black with a grey protective vest and arm armor – his mask appeared to be in the shape of some sort of canine, but the hood made it difficult to tell. The hilts of two swords were visible over each shoulder.

"You shouldn't be here," the Anbu said, voice clear despite coming from behind his mask. "Uchiha Sasuke."

Within the shadows of his hood, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He wasn't wearing a mask, but his face was hidden and his Sharingan was not activated, aware that here, of all places, it would give him away. He did not expect to be recognized so quickly.

Sasuke pulled off his hood, loose black locks now long enough to frame his face, caught on the wind and blew out of his eyes. "I have business here," he said, expressionless as ever.

"Your business with Konoha ended when you went to the Sound."

"I have no business with Konoha," Sasuke responded, picking an invisible piece of lint from his cloak. "Tell me, where is Uzumaki Naruto?" He was discovered, there was no point beating around the bush. This could at least save time, though he would most likely wind up having to knock this man out before he could continue.

"What business could you possibly have with him?" the Anbu asked.

Sasuke sighed, already growing bored with the conversation. "If you're not going to tell me where he is, then don't waste my time." Reaching up under his cloak he slid a katana from the sheath strapped to his back. "I've got more important things to do then chat."

The Anbu didn't tense. He didn't even acknowledge that Sasuke had drawn a weapon. "This is about Itachi, isn't it?"

Sasuke straightened, looking darkly at the Anbu. People who knew of Itachi were people who had known him, once upon a time. He blinked, and when his eyes reopened they were a deep red color, three black dots surrounding his pupils.

Within the Anbu was a large menacing fox, grinning at him viciously.

"An Anbu now, Naruto?" Sasuke said, lips quirking into a smirk. "And only eighteen. Impressive."

The Anbu reached up with his left hand to pull down his hood and Sasuke was not surprised at the shock of blonde hair that was revealed. The mask, he realized now, was a fox. Not very discreet – he might as well have just written his name on it.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" he asked flatly. Naruto did not remove his mask, and Sasuke assumed that was because his face was not as impassive as his voice. That had always been Naruto's problem. He was too emotional. He believed in things like loyalty, bonds, love, and friendship. That's why he'd always been weak.

"I need you to come with me," Sasuke said bluntly.

Naruto snorted. "You do, huh?"

"Yes."

"I was right, wasn't I?" Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "This is about Itachi. You want me to help you kill him." There was a pause and he laughed, though it was mirthless. "Wow, there's something about you that brings back the naiveté from when I was younger. More likely scenario – you want to use his target jinchuriki as bait."

Sasuke gazed calmly at him. "He's still hunting you, isn't he?"

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Naruto retorted.

"I'll take that as a yes," Sasuke said with a smirk. "Killing him would benefit us both."

Naruto started laughing so hard he doubled over, holding his stomach. "You're still not strong enough, are you?" he exclaimed. "You betrayed your village, went to the enemy, teamed up with a bunch of crazies, and still, six years later, you _aren't strong enough_ to defeat him."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously and his chakra flared.

"And now you've come crawling back to Konoha, to ask those weaklings you left behind for help." Naruto straightened. "For someone supposed to be a genius, you're the biggest idiot I ever met."

In a flash Sasuke had moved and was suddenly right in front of Naruto, his katana resting against his neck. "I was attempting to do this the easy way, but don't think I'm beyond forcing you to come."

"You've proven to me time and time again that you're capable of absolutely anything," Naruto responded. His masked face was turned toward him, staring with impassiveness only wood could achieve. "Get out of here, Sasuke, while you still can."

This was said in a low voice, barely audible, and Sasuke frowned at him, wondering just what he meant by that.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he flipped away quickly upon realizing what it was. Along the ground sped long black lines, shadows that nearly blended into the darkness of the night, chasing him until he made it out of their range.

He straightened, cloak flapping, katana at the ready.

The shadows retreated back to the one controlling them – an Anbu standing on the edge of the roof. He wore no cloak, only the Anbu uniform, hair in a ponytail. A white mask in the shape of a cat hid his face from view.

Sasuke, however, knew exactly who it was. There was no mistaking that jutsu. If it had made contact he very well might have been caught.

The Sharingan locked a moment on Naruto, who had yet to move from his position.

_Get out of here, Sasuke, while you still can. _

Had that been a warning?

Sasuke's eyes slowly took in his surroundings and his opponent. He sensed a third Anbu who had yet to show himself, hidden on a rooftop to the left.

"Uchiha Sasuke," said the Anbu with the ponytail. "As a Konoha missing-nin, you're under arrest."

Sasuke stared impassively before hitching his head over to where he knew the other Anbu was. "Tell him to come out, I already know he's there."

Silently, a third Anbu with black hair leapt onto their rooftop, dressed also in the standard uniform, wearing a mask reminiscent of a mouse. Sasuke used his senses to search for any others, knowing that Anbu generally worked in four man teams. There was no one else.

"I told you I would handle it," Naruto said to the shadow user.

"You didn't, however, tell us it was Uchiha," was the reply.

"I'm here only to speak with Naruto, Shikamaru," Sasuke said.

"Looked like the conversation was over and had moved onto threatening," Shikamaru returned. "Drop your weapon and come quietly or we will resort to force."

"Tch," Sasuke said, twisting his katana in his hand for a better grip, no intentions of just rolling over and going to jail. Not when Itachi was still out there. "You two should leave. Now."

Shikamarku's fingers moved together in the beginning of a seal, clearly preparing should Sasuke attack.

The other Anbu slowly reached behind him, unsheathing the short sword on his back. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun," he said from behind his mask, voice quiet and emotionless. "We don't leave teammates behind."

There was something familiar about him, Sasuke realized, but he couldn't place him.

"So be it," Sasuke said with a shrug.

Then he charged. He went for the quiet one first, knowing better than to get too close to Shikamaru. There was a range on his jutsu and he planned to stay out of it.

He raised his katana as he attacked the Anbu, who used his own weapon to block it with far more ease than Sasuke had expected. And then they were twirling in a deadly dance as their blades hit and missed. The Anbu was talented with his sword Sasuke would give him that.

His senses were open, aware that Shikamaru would likely take any opening he could to trap him with his shadow.

"A little help here, Naruto?" Shikamaru said to the blonde, who was watching silently, arms crossed over his chest.

Shikamaru sighed when there was a lack of response. "Don't make me pull rank."

So Shikamaru was the Anbu captain. For some reason Sasuke had made the assumption that Naruto might have been. Of course, why anyone would let that idiot lead was beyond him.

He ducked under a swipe of his opponent's sword, which would have slit his throat cleanly if it had connected.

The Sharingan suddenly caught Shikamaru's movement, and he flipped away from the Anbu he was fighting as a knife came flying in his direction. It hadn't been aimed toward him, however, and Sasuke put on an extra burst of speed to make sure his shadow was well out of the way as well. Landing in a crouch, cloak billowing behind him, Sasuke took in his opponents. The Anbu with the sword was in a ready position and Naruto had yet to move from where he stood.

Shikamaru had managed to move closer. He was more of a nuisance than he was worth.

Sheathing his katana, Sasuke clapped his hands together in a seal.

"Sai!" Shikamaru said to the third Anbu, and it was then Sasuke remembered the boy who had once appeared at Orochimaru's lair to try and take him back to Konoha for Naruto. The third Anbu leapt at him, sword raised with the intent of stopping his jutsu, but he wasn't fast enough. Snakes flew from Sasuke's sleeves by the dozens, some speeding for Shikamaru, the rest for Sai, who had to veer off course to dodge.

And then, finally, Naruto stepped in. Sasuke watched as the blonde moved, unsheathing one of the two short swords that were attached to his back. A lazy swipe and the snakes heading toward the Anbu captain were cut in half, falling to the ground with squishy thuds.

The sword itself wasn't nearly long enough to do such a thing, and Sasuke realized the blade had been thickened and elongated with chakra, exactly like he could do with his own.

He had taken his attention off of Sai for almost too long, for the Anbu had had the chance to pull out a scroll and begin drawing. Recalling from their one battle before that Sai had the ability to bring his creations to life, he quickly began more seals. "Katon: Karyuu Endan."

Out of his mouth came a stream of flames, moving like a wall, fast toward Sai. He was forced to dodge and unable to complete his drawing. In the meantime, another knife was launched at him, once again aimed for his shadow.

Sasuke pulled a kunai from the pouch attached to his leg, throwing it with perfect aim and knocking the knife off course. He charged Shikamaru and Naruto, tired of being on defense. He unsheathed his katana, using his electricity-based chakra to lengthen it.

"I need light, Naruto," Shikamaru said, pulling out another knife for defense. The blonde didn't answer, simply unsheathing his second sword. Shikamaru sighed. "If we don't capture him, then we'll have to kill him."

"Stay out of this," Naruto said. "Both of you." Then he rushed at Sasuke, meeting him in the middle of the roof. Sasuke raised his katana over his head to block Naruto's downswing of the two blades. Their swords hit, clashing loudly as the chakra infused into both of the weapons connected and an unnatural wind from their meeting flew up, blowing their hair and cloaks back.

"Finally learned how to use your chakra, huh, Naruto?" Sasuke said, smug in the knowledge that he'd been calling on his elements long before Naruto had even known he'd had one.

Naruto did not rise to the taunt, instead pulling back and spinning, causing Sasuke to leap away, high into the air, to avoid the swords. A black shadow flew toward Sasuke's own, which had elongated with help of the glow of a streetlight that he'd managed to leap right into in his hurry. Dodging the shadow in midair with that light didn't seem possible.

With speed that Sasuke could only follow thanks to the Sharingan, Naruto thrust his blades into the ground as easily as if it were butter, and turned toward Shikamaru, clapping his hands together in a seal.

He stretched his hand toward his teammate and a beam of light suddenly burst forth, seemingly from Naruto himself, intercepting the shadow before it could get to Sasuke, cutting it off as the sun might have to a real one.

"I said stay out of it," Naruto growled at Shikamaru.

"Naruto!" Sai exclaimed, clearly surprised by his sudden turn on their teammate.

Sasuke crouched low where he landed, watching with keen, interested eyes, wondering what jutsu Naruto had just done. He'd never seen anything like it. Also, that was twice Naruto had kept him from being caught and he had to wonder just which side he was actually on.

"I mean it!" Naruto said, abruptly reaching up and twisting his mask so it perched on the side of his head. The blue eyes Sasuke had expected were not there, instead eyes as red as his own glared at Sai. "Don't interfere."

Sasuke stood as Naruto pulled his swords from the cement of the roof. The blonde turned his body so he was looking sideways at him, the blades held loosely at his sides.

"All right, Sasuke," he said, and Sasuke realized he'd been wrong about his mask hiding a face full of expression. Naruto looked as blank as that piece of wood. "Tonight we finish this. You win, I come with you. I win, you stay in Konoha."

The other two Anbu shifted, as though they were going to interfere, but a well-placed glare from Naruto made them still.

Sasuke snorted derisively. "I'm not staying here."

"You'd only have to if you lose," Naruto said, lowering his head so he was peering darkly at him through the blonde locks that fell into his eyes. "Unless the great Uchiha Sasuke is worried he might actually be beaten by a dobe."

Sasuke met his red-eyed gaze with his own and for a long moment there was not a sound on the roof save for the wind that rustled their clothes.

He twisted his katana in his grip, ready. "They stay out of it." It was not a question or a request. He'd make this deal with Naruto, but he didn't want to have to constantly be looking over his shoulder for a stray shadow or inkblot.

"If they interfere I'll forfeit and go with you," Naruto replied, loud enough to be sure the other two heard him.

"Naruto, go with him and you'll be a missing nin too," Shikamaru said.

"Then you better stay out of it," Naruto said, eyes never leaving Sasuke. "Deal?"

"Deal," Sasuke said.

As if the word was actually "Go," the two flew at each other, sandals hitting the roof in near silence even as they ran. Swords clashed once more. Sasuke blocked one of Naruto's, which swung down from above, but the blonde used his momentum and spun, letting the blade slide along Sasuke's katana as he twisted, his second weapon flying towards Sasuke's side.

Sasuke saw it coming thanks to the Sharingan and managed to block that as well. Naruto was faster than he'd ever seen him, and he wielded the two swords with frightening ease. The chakra in the short blades was powerful – when they hit his katana he could feel it.

They fell into step with one another. Spin, thrust, block, dodge, the black and white folds of their cloaks billowing behind them as they moved.

Neither spoke; the taunts that they'd once thrown at each other when they sparred had been lost with their childhood. Sasuke raised his katana, bringing it down toward Naruto's head. Naruto crossed both swords above his head and caught Sasuke's between them. They were locked that way a moment, face to face.

Then Sasuke could feel Naruto feeding more chakra into his weapons, and he instinctively knew that if he relied only on his katana he was going to lose this battle. He'd yet to see exactly what element Naruto had control of but he could feel the chakra pushing against his katana, his electricity, which was beginning to yield.

He was about to leap back and come up with a different plan of action when movement caught his attention. Too late though, for a large black ink snake – ironic, Sasuke couldn't help but note – sped up to them, wrapping around not only Sasuke but Naruto as well. His focus had been on Naruto only and he was paying the price for it now.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," Sai said. "Her orders are to stop you."

Sasuke could see tiny little ink mice running around his feet, and he realized that Sai must have sent a note to the Hokage while they were distracted. The snake squeezed them tightly together until they were flush against one another. His ears picked up the sounds of more ninjas heading fast toward their location.

"Looks like I win," he said to Naruto. Sai had interfered, that meant Naruto forfeited.

"You call this a win?" Naruto said, and he was so close Sasuke could feel his breath against his face.

Their arms were locked together above their heads, the snake having wrapped around them as well, making the use of their weapons and even seals impossible.

"Are you going back on your promise?" Sasuke said, raising an eyebrow at him. Naruto had always prided himself on keeping his word.

"I was referring more to the both of us being hopelessly captured," Naruto replied dryly. "Sai! How many times are you going to pull this shit on me?" He let go of his weapons and they clattered to the ground. He met Sasuke's gaze and as if they'd never been apart and had been on the same team for years, he knew what Naruto wanted him to do.

He released his own katana. "Which?" he breathed, so soft that only Naruto could hear him.

"Something that'll burn up that scroll," Naruto replied just as softly. "And make it quick, if Shikamaru uses his shadow we're fucked."

"Can you even do fire jutsu?" Sasuke asked, wondering if this would even work.

"I'll pull my weight," Naruto replied. The sounds of backup were getting closer. "Do it, now, or you're going to be stuck here."

Sasuke grasped Naruto's hand, muttering the names of seals for Naruto's benefit. Together their hands formed the signs they couldn't do on their own. Sasuke turned his head, fire shooting from his mouth at Sai, who'd been caught completely off guard by the unexpected jutsu.

A huge fireball, bigger than even Sasuke was expecting – bigger in fact than any he'd ever summoned – flew at Sai, who had to dive out of the way, dropping the scroll in his scramble. It was hit and burst into flames, and they were suddenly free as the snake around them disappeared. Naruto pulled back from Sasuke, turning immediately to Shikamaru, whose shadow was now speeding toward them both.

Naruto's hands flew into seals and Sasuke had to shield his eyes as light burst forth from him. Shikamaru's shadow disappeared in the illumination.

"Where are they!" new voices cried, backup having arrived but unable to see anything in the blinding light.

"Naruto! Don't do this!" Shikamaru called, arm flung over his eyes.

"I gave my word, Shikamaru," Naruto replied calmly. There was a great crash and the light abruptly winked out. Sasuke blinked, the Sharingan allowing his eyes to adjust to the change quickly. The entire side of the roof where the other ninja's had stood was now covered by a thick wall that appeared to be made out of earth.

"We've got to go," Naruto said, turning and picking up his blades, sheathing them and glancing at Sasuke. "More will be here any minute."

It was almost unnerving, the abrupt about face that Naruto had pulled, suddenly on his side after fighting against him only moments before. Sasuke did not hesitate, however, retrieving his katana and sliding it back underneath his cloak.

He almost asked Naruto if he was sure – if he really wanted to abandon his village, his friends, become a missing nin. With a shake of his head he berated himself for even thinking about it. He had one goal. Kill his brother. Naruto was a means to an end, nothing more, nothing less.

"Let me get a look at you," Naruto said, unaware of his thoughts, though Sasuke was fairly certain the blonde wouldn't be surprised.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly Naruto was trying to see. Then the Anbu raised his hands and crossed his fingers in a familiar seal, and there were suddenly at least fifty blondes crowded on the small roof. Half of them raised their hands into seals as well, and suddenly there were dozens of Sasuke's.

Sasuke gave a small approving nod as Naruto sent them all off in different directions. Crowds of Sasukes and Narutos leapt from the roof. It would slow pursuers down, and, even better, force the Hokage to split up her forces to track all of them.

"Lead on," the real Naruto said, pulling up his hood and sliding his mask back over his face.

Sasuke also replaced his hood, and without a word he took off across the roofs. Naruto took a final glance around the village and followed.

* * *

A/N: Yup. Here I go again. I thought I managed to kill my Naruto muse after Walking Corpse. And then I finally sat down and caught up on the manga. And suddenly it was revived and fluttering around my brain, refusing to leave me alone. There _will_ be spoilers in this. I've read the manga that is out so far, and all of it will come into play. Other than that I haven't the foggiest idea where this is going, but I'm sure it'll be yet another life consuming project. 


	2. Turn around

The Hokage's office was crowded and in a general state of uproar. Tsunade sighed as debates turned into heated arguments; people speaking over one another, each convinced they knew the right thing to do. The majority of the rookie nine from Naruto's genin year were there, as well as Team Gai, Jiraya and Shizune.

"We need to find them," Sakura said.

"Them?" Kiba replied with a snort. "Uchiha made his decision years ago. Fuck him. We need to go find Naruto, kick his ass, and then drag the idiot back here."

"He really just went with him?" Ino asked, looking over at Shikamaru, who was standing next to Sai with his arms folded across his chest. He'd pulled his mask off and it was attached to his hip, so his serious expression was visible to everyone in the room. "Maybe Sasuke used the Sharingan and made him?"

"It doesn't work that way," Kakashi said to her.

"Naruto knew what he was doing," Shikamaru said. "He helped Sasuke escape."

They'd heard this before, but it still caused the people in the room to stir uncomfortably.

Now that it was finally quiet, and Tsunade had had adequate time to think, she spoke. "Kakashi, you're the only one who's trained and fought with both of them, separately and together. If we do find them – will we be able to stop them?"

Tsunade was no idiot. Both Naruto and Sasuke were terrifying in their power. And that was on their own.

"None of us know even half of what exactly Sasuke's capabilities are at this point," Kakashi said from where he was leaning against the wall, his one visible eye focused on Tsunade. "He can copy any jutsu, has the Sharingan, and trained under Orochimaru for three years. Naruto, while we're all mostly aware of his abilities, does have a reputation for being Konoha's most surprising ninja. As for the two of them together – when they weren't fighting with each other or competing they worked more fluently than any ninjas I've ever seen."

There was a long pause before Sakura spoke up. "It's like they knew what the other was thinking. When they fought together they were completely in sync."

Kakashi looked at Shikamaru and Sai. "You said they did a jutsu together?"

Sai nodded. "Their hands were bound, so they did the seals together instead."

"Is that even possible?" Lee asked.

From the corner he sat in, Jiraiya finally spoke. "It takes great concentration. You have to channel your chakra just right to match the person you're doing it with." He looked at Kakashi and Sakura. "Have they done that before?"

Both shook their heads. "Not as far as I know," Kakashi said.

"So basically," Kiba said. "What you're all saying, is that letting the two of them prance off together into the sunset was the worst fuckup ever."

There was silence, and it was obvious they were all in agreement, though no one wanted to voice it.

"We need to find Naruto and convince him to come back," Sakura finally said.

"He's made his decision," said one of Tsunade's advisors. "He's a missing nin now. If he's found he needs to be treated as such."

Sakura rounded on him angrily. "He is not a missing nin! He'd never abandon Konoha! He's just helping Sasuke—"

"Another missing nin," he said.

"Enough!" Tsunade barked. "Naruto is an Anbu of Konoha, a damn fine ninja, and I'm not planning to let him get away that easily." Her advisor looked ready to argue but a stony glare silenced him. "Kiba, Hinata, I want you two to track them." Kiba and Akamaru's nose and Hinata's eyes made them two of the best trackers she had.

"There's like twenty five different paths," Kiba said.

"Naruto can't keep up the clones forever. Find them."

"Hokage-sama," spoke up a young man with long black hair, eyes as pale as his cousin's. He was dressed in an Anbu uniform, a bird mask at his hip. "Shouldn't an Anbu go with them? If they are forced to engage—"

"No," Tsunade cut him off. She looked at Kiba and Hinata, who was standing next to him quietly, her hands folded together in front of her. "You will not engage. You are to find them and send word back. Stick with them until others arrive. Nothing else. Do not let them know you're there. Understood?"

"Yes," they both said.

"Good. Everyone's dismissed. Stay on alert, I may call you at anytime."

With nods and affirmations everyone disappeared. Neji looked a bit disgruntled that she'd sent his cousin, who was a chuunin, and Kiba, a jounin, without any other team members. He'd become extremely protective of her as the years had passed.

When everyone had cleared out of her office, she turned to Jiraya, who hadn't moved from his seat in the corner. "What?"

"Why not just send Neji?" he asked. "He's got the same eyes, and he uses them better. If they did hit trouble it'd be better to have him around."

"Kiba and Hinata have been on the same team for six years," she said, tossing a blonde ponytail over her shoulder. "They work well together."

"Neji and Kiba have worked together on plenty of missions," Jiraiya pointed out.

"He won't fight her," Tsunade said. She didn't have to specify the he. "She's the safest one to send."

"He's not going to come back without a fight," Jiraiya said. "Shikamaru and Sai said it. He gave Sasuke his word."

"Do you think Naruto would have beaten him?" she asked. "If I hadn't told Sai to interfere would they both be here right now?" It was a question that had been bothering her since Shikamaru and Sai explained what had happened.

"What it comes down to is whether you believed that he could," Jiraiya said with a shrug. "You didn't. You made the call."

That didn't make her feel any better. "And you? Do you believe he's powerful enough to have beaten him?"

"He's been waiting for six years to get him home," Jiraiya said. "Power has nothing to do with it. Naruto has always persevered against enemies much stronger than he was through will alone."

"You think I made the wrong call."

"You made the call you thought was right," he said, standing and stretching. "Keep me updated." With that he strolled out of the room.

"That wasn't an answer," she muttered once he was gone.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke hadn't spoken to one another since leaving Konoha. Sasuke kept thinking to himself how nice it was, not to have Naruto chattering away like an idiot the entire way, at the same time trying to shake off the entirely wrong feeling the silence elicited.

They didn't stop for hours, making their way tree to tree through the Fire Country, until Naruto finally spoke. "What exactly is the plan here?"

"Wind Country," Sasuke said. He braced himself for the 'Why?' but it never came.

The sun rose and morning faded into afternoon, and still they did not stop, Sasuke wanting to put as much distance between themselves and Konoha as possible. Eventually, as the sun started to dip once more below the horizon, he pulled to a stop and leapt down from the high braches of the tree he was in. Naruto followed, landing as silently as a cat next to him.

"Let's stop here for the night," Sasuke said, lowering his hood and using the Sharingan to make certain they were truly alone.

Naruto's fox mask gave a brisk nod, and he raised his hands into a seal. "Some clones were followed for a little while, but looks like they managed to lose them." He lowered his hood and twisted his mask to rest on the side of his head, blonde hair becoming disheveled as he did.

Sasuke's face betrayed none of his surprise to see Naruto's eyes were now the brilliant blue of their youth. He realized that Naruto had only just released the shadow clone jutsu, and he had to wonder how much chakra he'd had to use to keep it up for that long.

"I doubt they just gave up," Sasuke said.

"Most likely regrouping," Naruto agreed. He flopped onto the ground, leaning back so his weight was on his palms and he was looking up at the canopy of trees above them.

"Who will she send?" Sasuke asked, taking a seat with much more grace, folding his legs beneath him.

"Kiba," Naruto said with an air of certainty. "The different trails might throw him for a while, but he'll find us eventually. We'll need to think of ways to mask our scents if we want to keep him off our backs."

"What about your team?"

"Unlikely," Naruto said, gaze on the bits of sky he could see through the branches. "Shikamaru and Sai are both ideal for captures, but I don't think she'll send them."

"Too many emotions?" Sasuke asked. Teammates, as he well recalled, had a tendency to get over attached. Not one of his particular character flaws, fortunately.

Naruto made a noncommittal noise and his shoulders moved in a shrug. "I know their styles too well. I know their weaknesses. Plus Shikamaru's jutsu won't work on me."

Sasuke remembered with suddenly clarity the fight from the evening before. "That jutsu last night," he said. "What was it?"

"Why?" Naruto said, looking at him finally, a grin spreading across his face. "Want to copy it?"

It was on the tip of his tongue to say he already had, but he realized, (rather belatedly for the supposed genius that he was) that the particular jutsu was not one currently in his arsenal. He'd been watching Sai, not Naruto.

That's what happened when you paid more attention to your enemies than your allies. It was a common mistake. A rookie mistake.

_Take from all around you, Sasuke-kun_, Orochimaru had told him. _It's the right of those pretty eyes._

Despite his constant teasing, constant put downs, even from their early years, Sasuke had recognized something in Naruto. He was one of the only people worth sparring with in all of Konoha, and if he'd grown as much as he'd seemed to in the past years…. If Sasuke should be watching anyone, it was him.

"I'm hungry," Naruto announced, successfully pulling Sasuke from his thoughts. "Make a fire, I'll go get us something to cook."

Sasuke merely nodded, and the Anbu stood, disappearing into the forest.

It was then it occurred to him that not only had Naruto just bossed him around, he'd also just taken off. And Sasuke hadn't even thought to stop him. What the hell was it about the dobe that made him sloppy?

It had to be all that loser aura that was around the blonde. It rubbed off on him.

Still, when Naruto returned a little while later with a deer draped over his shoulders, there was a fire waiting. Sasuke was sitting, back against a tree, having managed to tamper down the urge to go after him, though he couldn't even begin to say why.

_Trust only yourself, Sasuke-kun._

"Took you long enough," he said, with that same smug inflection he'd always used as a child. "One deer too much for you?"

"Bite me," Naruto replied, tossing it down near the edge of their little clearing. He slid off his white jacket and hung it on a nearby branch before setting to work skinning the deer with a kunai.

"You're the fox, not me," Sasuke replied. He didn't flinch as the kunai Naruto had been using whizzed by his cheek and imbedded in the bark of the tree with a _thunk_. He could feel some of the deer's blood on his face.

Sasuke met Naruto's glare evenly.

"Let's get one thing straight," Naruto said, reaching into the pouch attached to his leg and extracting another kunai. He calmly returned his attention to skinning the deer. "I'm not here because I want to help you. I'm not even here because I like you. I'm here because I gave you my word." Sasuke watched the blood pour over Naruto's hands as they worked methodically. "Do me a favor and remember that. And remember that _you_ came to _me_, not the other way around."

Sasuke shrugged. "Fine." There was a long pause. "Dobe."

The second kunai was closer than the first – Sasuke's hair fluttered as it passed.

* * *

"The kitsune is gone." A tall figure wearing a black cloak and a wide-brimmed hat dropped silently out of the trees. A similarly dressed man was sitting cross-legged on the ground and appeared to be meditating.

"Hn?"

"He's not in Konoha anymore."

The man on the ground opened his eyes – in the dark it was almost hard to make out their red color. "No?"

The other grinned, baring wicked sharp teeth. "No. And guess who he's rumored to be with?"

"The suspense, Kisame, it kills," the other said blandly.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

_This _drew the other's attention. He stood. "It's time."

"I know he's not as strong as you, but don't you think your brother might be a pain in the ass if we try to take his new partner? He's so annoying to fight."

"Why? Because he actually requires a little bit of effort?" Itachi said, sounding amused. "And Sasuke didn't seek out the kitsune for a partner. He wanted bait. What better time to get Uzumaki than when he's away from his entire village of babysitters and with the one person who would give him up in a heartbeat just to get a chance to fight me?"

"Wow. I don't know which one of you is more of a bastard."

"As with all things, my baby brother is consistently in my shadow."

Kisame grinned. "Yup, it's you."


End file.
